Unique Opportunities > Editor's Note > By Mollie Vento Hudson

Kids can be cruel. We’ve all heard it, and many of us probably bear some scars from the teasing or bullying we received from the schoolyard or neighborhood “bosses.” Some of us may have even done some of the taunting, though it’s not likely we’d ever admit it.

The summer before fourth grade, my family moved to a new neighborhood. I was excited by the change, but not long after moving into our new house, I was introduced to the command structure of our little subdivision. The entire “back half” of the subdivision was run by two girls who made it their mission to make me miserable. They ran that neighborhood—or at least the girls in it—with a control the Mob would have envied. The boys paid no attention and welcomed my brothers warmly. Two more players for football; nothing else mattered.

I was given a less than flattering nickname and you would never have known my parents named me differently; I was invited to pool parties where there would be no one present; attempted to join biking adventures that suddenly stopped the minute I came outside. The list went on and on. It seems like small stuff now, but it really hurt, and I remember the pain clearly, whereas I’m sure Trish and Cheryl, the Head Bullies, remember none of it.

Kids can be cruel, but adults are supposed to know better. That’s why the devastation Susan Sarver describes in her article, “Bully Busting Basics,” is so eye-opening. Trish and Cheryl found jobs, apparently, and they are now creating toxic work environments that threaten employee morale and well-being. Not only is it ethically and morally correct to protect employees from aggressive treatment, not doing so is financial suicide and could cause legal problems. Learn how to recognize the signs and how to confront the bullies on page 32.

On a different note, our other feature this issue examines physician turnover, what contributes to it, and why it’s a big concern for practices and hospitals these days. The figures are staggering. One physician leaving a hospital practice costs from $400,000 to $1 million to replace. And a physician in a group practice isn’t cheap, either—$250,000 to $2 million between lost revenues and recruitment expenses. In “Making the Case for Retention,” beginning on page 22, Les Picker also details the hidden costs to morale, staff instability, and the burnout that can come from other people having to pick up the work load. Administrators are finding it’s smarter—and cheaper—to invest in keeping physicians happy than to replace the disgruntled ones who leave.

We hope you’ll find some tools in this issue to make your job a little easier. If you have comments on the articles, we’d love to hear from you.

—Mollie Vento Hudson


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		< Mar/Apr 2007 Contents Bullies in the Workplace Kids can be cruel. We’ve all heard it, and many of us probably bear some scars from the teasing or bullying we received from the schoolyard or neighborhood “bosses.” Some of us may have even done some of the taunting, though it’s not likely we’d ever admit it. The summer before fourth grade, my family moved to a new neighborhood. I was excited by the change, but not long after moving into our new house, I was introduced to the command structure of our little subdivision. The entire “back half” of the subdivision was run by two girls who made it their mission to make me miserable. They ran that neighborhood—or at least the girls in it—with a control the Mob would have envied. The boys paid no attention and welcomed my brothers warmly. Two more players for football; nothing else mattered. I was given a less than flattering nickname and you would never have known my parents named me differently; I was invited to pool parties where there would be no one present; attempted to join biking adventures that suddenly stopped the minute I came outside. The list went on and on. It seems like small stuff now, but it really hurt, and I remember the pain clearly, whereas I’m sure Trish and Cheryl, the Head Bullies, remember none of it. Kids can be cruel, but adults are supposed to know better. That’s why the devastation Susan Sarver describes in her article, “Bully Busting Basics,” is so eye-opening. Trish and Cheryl found jobs, apparently, and they are now creating toxic work environments that threaten employee morale and well-being. Not only is it ethically and morally correct to protect employees from aggressive treatment, not doing so is financial suicide and could cause legal problems. Learn how to recognize the signs and how to confront the bullies on page 32. On a different note, our other feature this issue examines physician turnover, what contributes to it, and why it’s a big concern for practices and hospitals these days. The figures are staggering. One physician leaving a hospital practice costs from $400,000 to $1 million to replace. And a physician in a group practice isn’t cheap, either—$250,000 to $2 million between lost revenues and recruitment expenses. In “Making the Case for Retention,” beginning on page 22, Les Picker also details the hidden costs to morale, staff instability, and the burnout that can come from other people having to pick up the work load. Administrators are finding it’s smarter—and cheaper—to invest in keeping physicians happy than to replace the disgruntled ones who leave. We hope you’ll find some tools in this issue to make your job a little easier. If you have comments on the articles, we’d love to hear from you. —Mollie Vento Hudson

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